Patient was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking Bactrim as follows:
- Watch out for any continuing or worsening signs and symptoms of infection, to report to your doctor immediately, so that, a change in plan could be considered.
- Sulfamethoxazole undergoes hepatic metabolism in the body and is excreted in the urine. Trimethoprim undergoes minimal metabolism in the liver and the rest is excreted in the urine unchanged. Individuals with history of liver and kidney disease cannot metabolize and excrete Bactrim normally and tend to retain the drug in the body longer, thus resulting in toxicity. So, observe compliance with any lab work ordered on hepatic and renal functions. Lab work could also be ordered for blood counts, as Bactrim use can result in agranulocytosis and aplastic anemia.
- Maintain strict compliance with intake of Bactrim as ordered, with regards to dosage and frequency, to derive the benefit of the medication. The dose and length of treatment depends upon the medical condition, severity of infection, and response to treatment.
- Noncompliance with Bactrim intake for the complete schedule can result in ineffective infection control with chance of relapse of infection with increased vigor. This can also contribute towards emergence of drug resistant strains of bacteria, making infection control more difficult.
- Do not change the dose on Bactrim without consulting your doctor.
